This short history of Western Australia from 1826 to the present vibrantly narrates the social, cultural, political, and economic development of the most geographically isolated area in the world. Informative and analytical, the author's wry observations about mirages as a major theme in Western Australia's history will stimulate public debate. It covers such topics as the evolution of popular Western Australia institutions, the rise and fall of WA Inc. and associated personalities, the mining boom, indigenous history, isolation as fuel for parochial attitudes and stereotypes, and entrepreneurship.

This final volume of a revised edition of the journals, completes the life story of significant pioneer and clergyman, John Ramsden Wollaston, an Anglican clergyman who migrated to Australia with his family in 1841. It also provides a fascinating insight into early colonial life.